SALMON ARM, B.C. - Just when it looked like the last undefeated team would fall at the Canadian junior curling championships, Dylan Johnston's Northern Ontario team pulled another extra-end victory.
Armstorng's Thunder Bay rink defeated Saskatchewan's Mike Armstrong 9-8 Tuesday to improve to 6-0, tops in the men's competition.
It was the second great escape of the day for Johsnton. Earlier Tuesday, his team stole four singles, including ones in the 10th and 11th ends, to edge pre-event favourite Prince Edward Island 9-8.
Down 7-3 to Saskatchewan after giving up four in the fifth end, Northern Ontario scored two in the sixth, then proceeded to steal singles in the seventh, eighth and ninth ends in taking an 8-7 lead.
Saskatchewan tied the game in the 10th end, but Northern Ontario scored one in the 11th when Armstrong was a little heavy trying a draw to the button, leaving a Northern Ontario stone biting the button as the winner. Johnston didn't have to throw his last stone.
"We did two of those (kinds of games) today," said Johnston, a 19-year-old ice technician at the Fort William Curling Club. "Both tough games, stole against P.E.I. (to win), stole here (to get the lead)."
Johnston's an easy person to recognize, what with his spiked hair dyed in the Northern Ontario colours of green and gold.
"I'm just a wild kid. I do weird stuff, I guess," he said. "Might be a once in a lifetime opportunity."
Right behind the leader is New Brunswick. Steve Burgess's Fredericton rink improved to 5-1 after a 5-3 win over Paul Dexter's Nova Scotia foursome.
Alberta, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador and P.E.I. are another game back at 4-2.
In other Draw 9 games, P.E.I. beat Quebec 12-5; B.C. won its fourth in a row, 9-4 over Yukon and Northwest Territories won its first, edging Newfoundland 8-7 in an extra end.
On the women's side, co-leaders Alberta and Ontario were idle in the evening draw. they finished the day with 5-1 records.
Quebec pulled into a tie for third with defending champion Manitoba at 4-2 with an 8-5 win over P.E.I.
Six teams are at 3-3: B.C., New Brunswick, Northern Ontario, Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and Saskatchewan.
In other scored: Northern Ontario beat Saskatchewan 8-2; British Columbia edged Yukon 7-6 in an extra end; Nova Scotia defeated New Brunswick 7-2; and Northwest Territories, with local substitute Jennifer Gerow replacing injured skip Kate Maksymowich beat Newfoundland 6-5 in an extra end.